Weft-detecting mechanism for looms



July 28, 1925.

c. LEFEBVRE WEFT DETECTING MECHANISM FOR LOOMS Filed Aug. 27, 1923Patented July 23, 1925.

a n starts t,54?,535 earner veaines.

CHARLES LEFEBVRE, OF LOWELL, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO CBOMPTON 85KNOV/LES 1100M WORKS, OF WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION OFMASSACHUSETTS.

VJEFT-DETECTING MECHANISM FOR LOOMS.

Application fi1ec1 August 27, 1923. Serial No. 659,480.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that CHARLES Lnrnnvnn, a citizenof the Republic of France, residing at Lowell, in the county ofMiddlesex and State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and usefulWeft-Detecting Mechanism for Looms, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention relates to improvements in weft detecting mechanism ofthe type shown in the prior patent to Ryon, No. 1,352,536, issuedSeptember 14, 1920. In this type of weft detecting mechanism the weft issimultaneously engaged by two detecting members, one of which is fixedto a. supporting slide and the other of which is pivoted thereon. Therelative position of the two detecting members sometimes needsadjustment to suit different sizes of weft or other changes in operatingconditions.

It is the object of my present invention to provide an improvedconstruction by which the pivot or bearing of the movable detectingmember may be very easily moved longitudinally of the supporting slidewhenever such adjustment is found desirable.

My invention further relates to arrange ments and combinations of partswhich will be hereinafter described and more particularly pointed out inthe appended claims.

A preferred form of my invention is shown in the drawings, in which-Fig. l is a plan view of weft detecting mechanism embodying myimprovements;

Fig. 2 is a. plan View of certain parts of 30 the detecting mechanism,with the upper plate of the supporting slide removed;

Figs. 3 and 4 are views similar to Fig. 2 but showing the parts indifferent positions;

Fig. 5 is a detail sectional elevation, taken along the line 5-5 in Fig.1;

Fig. 6 is a transverse sectional elevation, taken along the line 6-6 .inFig. 2; and

Fig. 7 is a partial plan view of one end of the supporting slide.

Referring to the drawings, I have shown a weft detecting mechanism whichis in general of substantially the construction shown in the Ryon patentabove noted and which includes a stand 10 adapted to be fixed to theloom frame and having a guideway or slide casing 11 formed at the endthereof. A supporting slide 12 is mounted in the guideway 11 and isyieldingly movthe rear or right hand end of the slide 12- and a movabledetecting member 15 is pivoted therein on a stud 16' and is normallypositioned closely adjacent the detecting member 14. The pivoted member15 has a laterally projecting arm 17 extending between the hooked end ofa stop rod 18 and the rear end of a second rod 19. The rod 19 is mountedfor endwise movement in suitable bearings within the slide or support 12and the forward or left hand end of the rod 19 engages an arm 20 on arock shaft 21.

A second arm 22 on the shaft 21 is pivotally connected to a rod 23slidable thereby into and out of the path of an actuating member 24. Theactuating member is normally inoperative but when the rod 23 remains .inits rearward position, in the path of movement of the member 24, themember 24 then becomes operative to indicate weft exhaustion.

The stud 16 for the pivoted member 15 is not mounted directly on theslide 12 but extends through a slot 25 in the lower plate thereof (Fig.5), being confined therein by a nut 26. The stud 16 also extends throughan opening 27 in a supporting rod 28 which is slidably mounted in theslide 12 and which is pressed yieldingly rearward by a spring The frontportion of the support 28 is formed as a round rod of reduced sectionupon which is threaded an adjusting nut 31 having a projection 32adapted to engage the front end of the slide 12 and to act as a stop tolimit rearward movement of the support 28 in the slide. The upper andlower plates of the slide 12 are provided with projecting portions 33(Fig. 7) which enclose the end of the projection 32 and thus maintainthe adjustment of the support 28.

The normal position of the parts is indicated in Fig. 1, with themovable detecting member 15 closely engaging the fixed detecting member14. When the detecting mechanism engages a weft carrier W having aconsiderable amount of relatively soft weft or filling thereon, asindicated in Fig. 3, the

spring 30 permits the detecting member to move bodily forward in theslide 12.

Such movement further withdraws the rod 23 from the path of the actuator24. When the supply of weft becomes much reduced on the weft carrier IV,as indicated in Fig. 2, the slide 12 will still be moved forward byengagement of the fixed detector 14: with the weft carrier W and the rod23 will be sufliciently withdrawn to clear the actuator 24.

If, however, the weft becomes entirely exhausted upon the portion of theweft carrod 19 and arm 20 and withdrawthe rod rier W engaged by thedetecting mechanism, the detecting member 15 will then be free to turnupon its pivot 16, and the slight rearward movement of the slide 12caused by engagement of the detector 1 1 with the weft carrier "W willnot be effective to move the 23. The actuator 2d thereupon becomesoperative to indicate a weft carrier transfer.

WVhenever it is desired to change the relative longitudinal position ofthe detecting members 14 and 15, this change is very easily effected bypulling forward the support 28 and adjusting the nut 31 as may be necessary. This adjusting movement is a straight line movement longitudinallyof the slide 12 and does not disturb the lateral relation of the pivoteddetecting member 15, the stop rod 18 and the rod 19. Having thusdescribed my invention and the advantages thereof, I do not wish to belimited to the details herein disclosed otherwise than as set forth inthe claims but what I claim is z j 1. A weft detecting mechanism forlooms comprising a movably mounted slide, a detecting member fixed tosaid slide, a pivoted move said support yieldingly rearward in saidslide.

3. A weft detecting mechanismfor looms comprising a movably mountedslide, a detecting member fixed to said slide, a pivoted detectingmember mounted adjacent thereto, a bearing for said pivoted detectingmember, and means to adjust said bearing by a straight line movementlongitudinally of said slide, while maintaining a fixed transverseposition thereof.

L A weft detecting mechanism for looms comprising a movably mountedslide, a detecting member fixed to said slide, a pivoted detectingmember mounted adjacent thereto, support for said pivoted detectingmember mounted for yielding longitudinal movement in said slide, andmeans to adjustably limit rearward movement of said support in saidslide.

5. A weft detecting mechanism for looms comprising a movably mountedslide, a detecting member fixed to said slide, a pivoted detectingmember mounted adjacent thereto, a pivot stud for said pivoted detectingmember, said stud extending loosely through .3

a longitudinal slot in said slide, and means to adjust said studlongitudinally in said slot.

6. A weft'detecting mechanism for looms comprising a movably mountedslide, a detecting member fixed to said slide, apivoted detectingmember, a support for said pivoted detecting member mounted for longitudinal movement in said slide and-having a threaded front end portion, andan adjusting nut threaded on said end port-ion and engaging said slide.

7. A weft detecting mechanism for looms comprising a movably mountedslide, a detecting member fixed to said slide, a pivoted detectingmember, a support for said pivoted detecting member mounted forlongitudinal movement in said slide and having a threaded front endportlon, an ad ustmg nut threaded on said end portion and engaging saidslide, and means to hold said nut in adjusted position.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto affixed my signature.

CHARLES Lnrnnvnn

